RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: loobylooayr on Thursday 08 October 20 09:05 BST (UK)
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Hi everyone,
I'm looking, please, for info and/or memories of Lewis's department store which was situated on Argyle Street in Glasgow ( not to be confused with John Lewis).
I'm writing a short article for my writing group on the store and any info would be very much appreciated. The article is unlikely to be published ( I'm a hobby writer)
My own memories include :
a basement record dept which I think had listening booths?
a wonderful Food Hall - remember buying broken biscuits and warm doughnuts.
creaky lifts.
an in-store hairdressers?
beautiful Christmas display windows.
Thanks for reading,
Looby ;)
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No personal memories but this may help?
http://discuss.glasgowguide.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3940&st=45
Boo
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Remember it well! ;D
Skoosh.
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No personal memories but this may help?
http://discuss.glasgowguide.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3940&st=45
Boo
Thank you , Boo. I'll take a read at the link. I'm sure it will be helpful.
Still would appreciate any info from Rootschatters :)
Was there an escalator?
I remember a self service cafe but think there could have been a posher waitress/ waiter service restaurant?
Looby :)
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At Christmas time, there used to be Santa on one of the upper floors, and there was always a huge queue on the stairs: parents with their excited children, and a great hub-bub of expectation. When you finally got to Santa, you sat on his knee and got a small present. I remember (away back in the early fifties) getting a box of dominoes - and I was quite happy with that. Lewis's was a great shop!
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At Christmas time, there used to be Santa on one of the upper floors, and there was always a huge queue on the stairs: parents with their excited children, and a great hub-bub of expectation. When you finally got to Santa, you sat on his knee and got a small present. I remember (away back in the early fifties) getting a box of dominoes - and I was quite happy with that. Lewis's was a great shop!
Thank you for your reply Doddsie4. I have good memories about queuing for Santa too (1960s)
Found this short film on National Library of Scotland website. which might interest you. https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/5098
Looby :)
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Looby,
Enjoyed watching that film. At one point, it shows you huge crowds of shoppers in the store. That's the way I remember Argyle Street in the 1950's. There was a tremendous "Hustle & Bustle" about the place, and you got a real buzz out of it. I can remember Woolworth on the other side of the street, and St Enoch railway station was very busy. The trams added to the hustle-bustle. Just loved the trams!!!
I can remember Queen Street railway station. They had a toy railway for the public to see, and wee boys, like myself, were fascinated.
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Looby,
Enjoyed watching that film. At one point, it shows you huge crowds of shoppers in the store. That's the way I remember Argyle Street in the 1950's. There was a tremendous "Hustle & Bustle" about the place, and you got a real buzz out of it. I can remember Woolworth on the other side of the street, and St Enoch railway station was very busy. The trams added to the hustle-bustle. Just loved the trams!!!
I can remember Queen Street railway station. They had a toy railway for the public to see, and wee boys, like myself, were fascinated.
Great memories, Doddsie4 . So different today.
Looby :)
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Lewis's did superb big Vienna rolls packed with assorted fillings! ;D
Skoosh.
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Hi everyone,
I'm looking, please, for info and/or memories of Lewis's department store which was situated on Argyle Street in Glasgow ( not to be confused with John Lewis).
I'm writing a short article for my writing group on the store and any info would be very much appreciated. The article is unlikely to be published ( I'm a hobby writer)
My own memories include :
a basement record dept which I think had listening booths?
a wonderful Food Hall - remember buying broken biscuits and warm doughnuts.
creaky lifts.
an in-store hairdressers?
beautiful Christmas display windows.
Thanks for reading,
Looby ;)
In addition to the Christmas windows the actual grotto where there were displays along the way as you queued, made it more magical.
Was terrified of the lifts. Loved the food hall. When it was my Gran's birthday we used to get the train to Central, walk along to Lewis's get stuff for tea from the food hall as a treat then get the low level or bus to my Gran's.
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Lewis's did superb big Vienna rolls packed with assorted fillings! ;D
Skoosh.
Sounds good, Skoosh. Could fair go one right now. The Foodhall was always popular.
Looby :)
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Lewis's did superb big Vienna rolls packed with assorted fillings! ;D
Skoosh.
Sounds good, Skoosh. Could fair go one right now. The Foodhall was always popular.
Looby :)
Did they not do lovely iced buns too, or am I misremembering?
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In addition to the Christmas windows the actual grotto where there were displays along the way as you queued, made it more magical.
Thank you, pharmaT.
That memory supports one of my own - I can recall standing with my Gran in a queue for Santa looking at beautiful Chrissmassy scenes...snowmen, elves etc. I wondered if I'd imagined that ;D!
The lifts were a bit dated. And the foodhall was always busy - lots of lovely stuff.
Thanks again
Looby :)
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Lewis's did superb big Vienna rolls packed with assorted fillings! ;D
Skoosh.
Sounds good, Skoosh. Could fair go one right now. The Foodhall was always popular.
Looby :)
Did they not do lovely iced buns too, or am I misremembering?
They probably did ! My clearest memory is of sugar doughnuts , still hot and in a brown paper bag. We used to buy them for the car journey home to Ayrshire. Simple pleasures.
Looby :)
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I too remember Lewis's and being a country bumpkin it was a marvel. There were escalators and Mum would have a firm grip of our hands. The lifts were operated by an attendant. Did he rhyme off what was on each floor?
The basement had a large food hall and the choice quite staggering to me. A firm favourite was the ham on the bone cut to order and of course the biscuits.
There was a bit which sold records and it had booths for listening to your chosen disc before buying. Bought my first LP, Tom Paxton's Ramblin Boy and still have it! Had others given as presents buy something special about buying with your own money.
If memory serves me I think you could buy everything you needed there. Ah memories.
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In addition to the Christmas windows the actual grotto where there were displays along the way as you queued, made it more magical.
Thank you, pharmaT.
That memory supports one of my own - I can recall standing with my Gran in a queue for Santa looking at beautiful Chrissmassy scenes...snowmen, elves etc. I wondered if I'd imagined that ;D!
The lifts were a bit dated. And the foodhall was always busy - lots of lovely stuff.
Thanks again
Looby :)
Definitely real and my Mum agrees, she said the grottos aren't as fun these days.
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The doughnuts, as I remember, were even bigger than Fanny Craddocks! ;D
In one of the railway arches between Lewis's & St Enoch's Station was a wee pub called the Old Eagle Inn complete with a stuffed eagle!
Skoosh.
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I too remember Lewis's and being a country bumpkin it was a marvel. There were escalators and Mum would have a firm grip of our hands. The lifts were operated by an attendant. Did he rhyme off what was on each floor?
The basement had a large food hall and the choice quite staggering to me. A firm favourite was the ham on the bone cut to order and of course the biscuits.
There was a bit which sold records and it had booths for listening to your chosen disc before buying. Bought my first LP, Tom Paxton's Ramblin Boy and still have it! Had others given as presents buy something special about buying with your own money.
If memory serves me I think you could buy everything you needed there. Ah memories.
Thank you fraser1,
We travelled through from Ayrshire and I think we spent the entire day in Lewis's !
Oddly, I don't remember the escalator....maybe we always used the lift ( novelty factor).
Thanks for confirming listening booths in the record dept.
Great memories of great days !
Looby :)
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PharmaT - I agree. Christmas grottos not the same anymore. Did you see the film footage I posted the link to? Imagine a Santa arriving in Glasgow like that today :o
Skoosh, obviously like St Enoch's station the Eagle will be long gone :'( I'm too young to remember the pub.....back then the only foaming drink I would be "swallying " would be Cremola Foam !
Looby :)
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PharmaT - I agree. Christmas grottos not the same anymore. Did you see the film footage I posted the link to? Imagine a Santa arriving in Glasgow like that today :o
Skoosh, obviously like St Enoch's station the Eagle will be long gone :'( I'm too young to remember the pub.....back then the only foaming drink I would be "swallying " would be Cremola Foam !
Looby :)
I'm too young to remember the pub too. The elves and coachman don't look impressed in that video do they?
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The Old Eagle apparently went back to 1818 so a bit older than Lewis's ;D
https://oldglasgowpubs.com/old-eagle-inn
Skoosh.